1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for collecting data relating to a cooking and/or heating process performed on a household kitchen appliance, in particular on a hob, of the type comprising a sensor associated with wireless data transmission means and means for receiving the signals transmitted by the data transmission means and connected to a management system for the household appliance for the purpose of permitting automatic control of the process.
2. Description of the Related Art
A device of this type is illustrated, for example, in application DE 44 39 777, in which the temperature sensor and the radio-frequency transmission means are arranged in the handle of an item of cookware (pan, skillet or the like). This has the disadvantage both of a certain disparity between the temperature detected by the sensor and the temperature of the food contained within the item of cookware and of the necessity of providing a plurality of items of cookware each having a handle fitted with a sensor and transmitter.
The object of the present invention is to provide a device of the type stated at the beginning of the description, which allows the above-stated disadvantages to be overcome in a simple and economic manner.
According to the invention, said object is achieved in that the sensor is fitted substantially at one end of a kitchen utensil suitable for coming into contact with the food to be cooked and/or heated, and in that the data transmission means are arranged substantially in a handle of the kitchen utensil.
The definition of kitchen utensil includes all types of ladles, slotted spatulas, spoons, forks and the like used for stirring and/or removing the food during cooking or heating. The definition of sensor includes any type of sensor, for example temperature, conductivity, level, color, density, acceleration or vibration sensors. In the event that the sensor is a conductivity sensor, it can be used to check whether the end of the kitchen utensil is actually in contact with the liquid in the item of cookware and simultaneously to monitor changes in conductivity due to the addition of salt or starchy foods (pasta, potatoes etc.). According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the kitchen utensil has a removable portion at the first end, such that the user can easily change one type of kitchen utensil into another without losing the technical features associated with the presence of the sensor and the associated signal transmission means. In some cases, when the user does not consider it necessary to stir the food contained, for example, in an item of cookware, the utensil can be used without the removable portion, i.e. purely to collect and transmit the temperature of the food to the domestic appliance control unit.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the sensor and associated transmitter can easily be fitted to a conventional kitchen utensil.
According to another variant of the invention, the kitchen utensil (once the portion suitable for mixing the food has been removed) is fitted in a hole in a suitable lid of an item of cookware, said lid advantageously being of the type adaptable to different types of cookware. To this end, said lid has a substantially conical shape capable of fitting into different diameters of pans or the like.